The Music 2016 Writers' Poll: Steve Bell

album of the year

1. Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial
2. Parquet Courts - Human Performance
3. Tyrannamen - Tyrannamen
4. Violent Soho - WACO
5. The Drones - Feelin Kinda Free
6. Hinds - Leave Me Alone
7. Drive-By Truckers - American Band
8. Richmond Fontaine - You Can't Go Back If There's Nothing To Go Back To
9. Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Mid Thirties Singles Scene 
10. Jonathan Richman - Ishkode! Ishkode!

song of the year

1. Parquet Courts - Berlin Got Blurry
2. Future Of The Left - Running All Over The Wicket
3. Car Seat Headrest - (Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs With Friends (But Says This Isn't a Problem)
4. Courtney Barnett - Three Packs A Day
5. Halfway - Three In And Nothing But The Stars

artist of the year

1. Car Seat Headrest
2. Parquet Courts
3. Violent Soho
4. Drive-By Truckers
5. Scott & Charlene's Wedding

international artist performance

1. Built To Spill
2. Metz
3. Gillian Welch
4. Hinds
5. Modest Mouse

australian artist performance

1. Violent Soho
2. The Drones
3. Radio Birdman
4. Royal Headache
5. The Ocean Party

live comedy act

1. Sam Simmons
2. Paul Foot
3. Comedy Bang! Bang!

top tv show

1. Bob's Burgers
2. Preacher
3. Hap & Leonard

top movie

1. The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
2. The Hateful Eight
3. Hell Or High Water

top website

1. Cracked
2. Saintsational
3. The AV Club

2016 highlight of the year

Violent Soho taking it to the next level (again), starting a label and putting out (amazing) debut albums by Thigh Master and Shrapnel, the vinyl resurgence continuing unabated, seeing Jonathan Richman in the States after a 20-year drought, South Park's take on the US election, Preacher finally making the small screen, having too much fun (again).

prediction for 2017

Saints to go one better than Bulldogs and win flag from eighth, Car Seat Headrest to dominate at Laneway, Thigh Master to dominate at SXSW, Trump to usher in new era of global solidarity as all the other countries band together to idiot-proof the world.